Build Your Own Tablet Stylus

The Case for the DIY Tablet Stylus

Steve Jobs famously stated that “If you see a stylus, they blew it.” While an optimally designed touchscreen shouldn’t necessitate a stylus for typical interactions, certain tasks are more easily accomplished with one. Digitizing signatures, creating quick handwritten notes, or simply sketching can all benefit from stylus use.

A wide variety of tablet styluses are available for purchase online, with many offered at low prices. However, considering the relative simplicity of the technology within a capacitive stylus, constructing one independently is a viable option.

Building Your Own Stylus: A Straightforward Process

Creating your own stylus is both an enjoyable project and likely requires materials you already possess. The core principle involves utilizing a conductive material to transfer the static electricity from your hand to the display.

Here’s a list of suggested components:

An old pen
Wire, salvaged from an old electrical cable
A soft, conductive material, such as household foam
Scissors or a cutter

The initial step involved cutting a small piece of household foam.

Next, an old plastic pen was disassembled.

A length of wire, approximately 2.5 times the length of the pen, was then wrapped around the foam...

...and the resulting stylus was tested on a tablet to confirm functionality. The foam itself can also be tested independently before integration with the wire.

Subsequently, the wire was threaded through the pen’s tip and secured along the pen’s exterior, extending to the base. Tape can be used to further secure the wire, ensuring contact with your hand while holding the pen. The initial test results with the homemade stylus are shown below.

The tip was trimmed for a cleaner appearance. Given the softness of the foam used, drawing primarily occurred with its side. Experimenting with different foam types may yield improved results. Slightly dampening the foam can also enhance conductivity if needed.

The finished stylus is presented here.

Further Refinements and Alternatives

This method provides a simple and inexpensive way to create a functional stylus using readily available materials. A more refined stylus can be constructed using a metal pen, eliminating the need for wire as the pen itself will conduct the static electricity.

Alternatively, if you have the necessary tools, holes can be drilled into a plastic pen at points of finger contact, allowing the wire to exit and connect with your skin.

The following video demonstrates how Collin from Make. created his own DIY capacitive stylus.

The process is remarkably straightforward. We encourage you to share photos of your own homemade styluses in the comments below!